The Health Literacy of Ethnic Hungarian Mothers in Eastern Europe

Parental health literacy is decisive for child health and quality of life. Children of parents with limited health literacy are at increased risk of illness and longer recovery periods. In Eastern Europe, child health indicators are worse than in the Western European countries, which calls for exploratory analysis. The aim of the study is to assess the health literacy of ethnic Hungarian mothers in Eastern Europe (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia), as well as to identify its socioeconomic and demographic antecedents. Sample size is 675 mothers. Our standardized online questionnaire included the HLS-EU-16 scale. Predictors of sufficient health literacy in mothers are age, partnership status, place of residence, educational attainment and socioeconomic status. Mothers who raise a child with chronic illness are significantly more likely to have limited health literacy than their fellows. Results indicate the necessity of improving mothers’ health literacy in the region, particularly among the at-risk groups of young mothers, single mothers and caregivers of children with chronic illness.